Merman



B. F. ZIMMERMAN.

VACUUM FUEL FEED APPARATUS.

- APBLICATlON FILE D MAR. 23- 1920. 1,366,760. Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

wuowbom If dajoryizmbofz imngem aw PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. ZIMMERMAN, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF, COLUMBIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

VACUUM FUEL-FEED APPARATUS.

Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

Application filed March 23, 1920. Serial No. 368,163.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. ZIM- MERMAN, a citizen of the United States, re-

siding at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vacuum Fuel-Feed Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to certain new and useful improvements in vacuum fuel feed systems, and a leading object of the invention is to provide a new and improved means for filtering the liquid fuel that passes from the main supply tank to the vacuum system, thus further purifying the fuel before itis delivered to the vacuum tankof the system.

A further object of the present invention is to construct the filtering means in the form of a sight-feed; that is, to appropriately position in the gasolene-or liquid-fuel feed-line a receptacle of a transparent character, or having a transparent portionwhich serves as a visual indicator and permits the operator of the vehicle supplied with a vacuum fuel feed system provided with my invention, to ascertain at any time by the physical condition of the fuel being sucked through the feed line, if the vacuum system is properly functioning.

My invention is in the nature of an accessory for gasolene or other cars employing a liquid-fuel since it can be readily attached to the usual vacuumtank, of such systems, the said device serving the two-fold purpose of a separator of sedimentary matter carried in the liquid fuel,and as' a visual indicator of the working conditions of the system.

Withthe foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists of the parts, and the constructlons, arrangements and comb1- nations of parts which I will hereinafter describe and point out in the appended claims. In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification and in which similar reference characters indicate like parts in the several views Figure 1 is a side elevation, more or less diagrammatic, showing a well known arrangement of a vacuum fuel feed in its asv sociation with the engine of an automobile,

" and showing a preferred location of my invention in the gasolene feed line of said system.

,Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional member, k, which is ries a tube or hollow view of my feed device.

As is well known to those familiar with the vacuum fuel feed systems commonly employed in connection with the internal combustion engines of automobiles, a pipe,2, leads from the main storage tank, 3, to the vacuum chamber or receiving chamber of the vacuum fuel feed tank, 4:, which tank is usually positioned near the engine and is sufficiently elevated to cause the liquid fuel to be fed therefrom by gravity to the usual carbureter. This type of system and the various specific parts thereof are well known and form no essential part of my invention and therefore they are not herein illustrated in detail.

In my invention, I let into the pipe line, 2, leading from the main supply tank to the vacuum tank, l, my improved separator and sight-feed appliance. substantially, of upper and lower recessed heads, a, 6, made of some appropriate material, as metal, and an intermediate cylinder or tube, A, of glass or other transparent substance, or of some material having a transparent sight opening of sufiicient area to permit the contents of the cylinder or tube to be viewed.

The annular recessing of the inner faces of the heads enables the ends of the glass cylinder to be snugly seated therein and against appropriate packings, '0, to form leak-tight joints against which the ends of the cylinder are clamped by the screw rods, (Z, which pass through the marginal portions of theheads and are secured by apcombined separator and sight i propriate nuts, 6.

The lower head, a, is pierced at f to admit the threaded nipple g of a coupling appropriately fitted to the nipple, 9, also carextension, 2', which extends fora substantial distanceinto the chamber formed by the glass cylinder, said tube having its upper portion cut-away on one side and the top of the tube bent over to constitute a deflecting lip, z", and to form the fuel feed line 2;

. substantially a spraying nozzle whose discharge is substantially transverse of the axis of the cylinder, said nozzle being designed to deliver the flowing liquid fuel laterally or across the cylinder and into the body of gasolene contained in the cylinder; this prosta n. nd sir sa tower app rance to the body of gasolene and this condition serves to indicate if the vacuum function of the system is being properly performed.

The upper head, 6, of my device carries within its recessed portion a fine-mesh screen,

70, or filtering agent of suitable character;

tank 4:, of the system.

The lower head, a, is also provided with removable clean-out plug, m, for the delivery of sedimentary matter which is separated from the liquid in the cylinder.

From the foregoing it will be understood that this invention has been devised for a twofold purpose; namely, to additionally filter the gasolene, or liquid fuel, that passes from the main supply tank to the vacuum system, and to visibly indicate if the system is properly functioning.

The systems mentioned have delicate parts, say for instance the usual float and valves and particularly the so-called flapvalve past which the gasolene flows from the vacuum chamber-to the usual gravity compartment of the tank 4. Often small particles of grit or foreign matter with which the gasolene is charged lodged under the said flap valve and prevent its full closing thereby impairing the su cessful operation ofthe valve and the efliciency of the system of which it is a part. By screening out the objectionable sedimentary matter before the gasolene enters the vacuum tank, the above noted objection is overcome.

Again, in such systems as I have mentioned, the usual float sometimes sticks on one of the valves actuated by the float and ceases to properly function, with the result that gasolene is permitted to pass the valve and continuously flow to the intake manifold of the engine, thus permitting the gasolene to mix with the lubricant. This action would greatly impair if not substantially destroy the function of the lubricating oil and, also, more. or less prevent effective carburation- Under the present'vacuum fuel systems,so far as I am advised, no visible or signaling means are provided to make manifest an improper functioning of the apparatus and hence the presence of such difliculties asI have mentioned, is not readily apparent and excessive repair bills arising from the experimentation to ascertain the source of trouble often result. With my invention,

I however, if the system sticks, or a valve does not. properly-seat or from any other cause a substantially perfect vacuum is not maintained and the system fails to cycle properly, this condition is made apparent by lowering of the liquid level in the sight tube or cylinder; when the system is functioning properly the gasolene which is being drawn into the tank, 4, fills the'transparent cylinder and fresh accretions are discharged laterally into the body of gasolene in the cylinder and agitate the same and the air entrained in this gasolene causes small bubbles to appear in the body of the gasolene in the cylinder, the presence of these bubbles being readily visible. This condition maintains until the vacuum is broken, when the level of the liquid in the cylinder falls to that of the supply nozzle. T here is always, however, a body of quiescent gasolene in the transparent cylinder or below the level of the nozzle and this body of liquid serves as a settling zone for sedimentary matter, which may be removed when desired by removing the clean out plug, or opening an equivalent part.

The device described is composed of few parts and may be readily attached to the existing vacuum fuel feed systems without any substantial disarrangement of the parts thereof.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is V 1. In a vacuum fuel feed system, the combination with a vacuum tank and a liquid fuel supply, of a receiver in the fuel supply line leading to the tank, said receiver adapted to be maintained substantially full of fuel during the existence of the vacuum in the tank, and'having a transparent portion, and an internal nozzle fixed to the bottom of the receiver and having its upper end adapted to discharge into the column of fuel in the receiver at an angle to the axis of said receiver.

2. In a vacuum fuel feed system, the combination with a vacuum tank and a liquid fuel feed supply, of a receiver let into the fuel supply line leading to the tank, said receiver having a transparent portion and having means fixed to and extending above its bottom adapted to deliver the incoming fuel substantially across the axis of the receiver and directly into the column of fuel in the receiver and by agitation of said fuel visually indicate the condition of the working of vacuum tank.

3. A vacuum fuel feed system having a main fuel supply and a vacuum tank connected thereto, said system having, also, a transparent fuel receiver'let into the feed line between the supply and the tankand adapted to be maintained substantially full of fuel by the working vacuum in the system, saidyreceiver provided with means for admitting the fresh secretions of the fuel eral direction at a point above its bottom, said means determining the depth of a body of substantially quiescent fuel to be retained in the lower portion of the receiver.

4. In a vacuum fuel feed system, the com bination with a vacuum tank and a liquid fuel supply, of a receiver in the fuel supply line leading to the tank, said receiver having a deflecting nozzle in its interior above the bottom thereof and forming a part of said supply line, and said receiver having an outlet in its upper portion also forming a part of said supply line.

5. In a vacuum fuel feed system, the com bination witha vacuum tank and a liquid fuel supply, of a receiver in the fuel supply line leading to the tank, said receiver adapted to be maintained substantially full of' fuel by the working vacuum in the system and said receiver having a deflecting nozzle in its interior fixed to and extending above the bottom thereof and forming a part of said supply line, said receiver having an outlet in its upper portion also forming a part of said supply line, and a filtering medium in the upper portion of the receiver and through which the fuel must pass to reach said outlet.

6. A combined filtering and visual indicating device for a vacuum fuel feed system,

said device consisting of upper and lower heads and an intermediate transparent tubular member, means for connecting said heads and clamping the latter against the ends of said member, a fuel inlet pipe entering the bottom of the lower head and extending a substantial distance into the tubular memher, said pipe having a deflecting nozzle formation on its upper end adapted to de liver fresh accretions of fuel into the column of fuel in the receiver, a coupling member on the lower end of said pipe, a filter agent 011 the upper portion of the tubular member, and a pipe in the upper head connecting with the space above said filter agent.

7. The method herein described of indicating the working conditions of a vacuum fuel-feed system, said method consisting, essentially, in introducing into the fuel-feed line of the-system so as to subject to the vacuum thereof, a visible fuel container into which accretions of the flowing fuel are ad- -mitted in such manner as to produce visible agitation of the fuel contents of said con.- tainer while the system is properly functioning, the agitation ceasing and the fuel level in the container visibly lowering when there occurs an interruption of the vacuum.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

BENJAMIN F. ZIMMERMAN. 

